Plowshare Coins

Archive for June, 2014

Some coin collectors like to focus on and specialize in one particular set of coins. Dimes are becoming increasingly popular among specialist collectors, and many of them begin their collections by hunting down Seated Liberty dimes. This obverse design was used on a number of different U.S. coins over the years, and it was the longest-running design for any silver coin minted in the United States. This dime was in circulation for 55 years, making it one of the most enduring dimes in the history of U.S. coinage, but the design was actually tweaked a number of times during its run of over a half-century.

When this dime was introduced in 1837, it included no stars on the obverse. The following year, 13 stars were added, then replaced with the “United States of America” legend. A number of other changes occurred to the Seated Liberty dime during its existence, but none of the changes were as important as the decision to make the coins more massive by adding extra weight. This was done in an attempt to compete with other world currencies, and it resulted in the rare Carson City dimes of 1873 and 1874.

Dime specialists love dimes depicting a sitting Liberty figure because of the many variations available. A collector could spend a significant amount of time searching for the various types of this special coin. Those who have been able to locate all of the variations of this dime can count themselves as members of a unique coin-collecting class.